Growing Up

The Barbics, Glens and any other Disney characters are copyrighted to Disney and we claim no ownership. However, any new characters are copyrighted to Ulisa, Silver Fox and Cheetah the Furry. This plot is a collaboration of Ulisa, Silver Fox, and Cheetah the Furry.

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Gritty himself was not sure why but he wasn't feeling quite up to par tonight. It wasn't a reason he could touch or make reason of. Gritty had never been one to believe in premonitions but if he had been, he'd have swore this was one. Something was going to happen. He didn't know what but he felt it revolved around Ursa.

His knuckles turned white and threw his spear, taking his anger out on a passing deer. If he weren't bound by his word to take these two on a haiana, he would have abandoned this quest and sought Ursa out. Even if it had only won his reprimand and teasing, it would have soothed his soul to know that these uneasy feelings he was receiving were just that-feelings. But he couldn't find out and that uneasiness was what was troubling him.

Gritty shook himself free of such thoughts and after cutting and smoking as much meat from the deer as could be eaten or carried, he hurried back to the camp.

Far Past:

Grammi smiled as she watched the cubs of the city rush around each other. They were so innocent. Most were not even ten yet. They had recently been introduced to Kuriani's younger siblings. They were tomboyish, especially the girl Sachi. Malachi actually reminded Grammi a little of Buddi. He was an adventurer but he was also softer than his sister. In a way, Grammi saw this as good. Buddi was very sensitive; Sunni was smitten with him, although she never willingly revealed that. She didn't have to. Grammi knew.

But what…how long would this glee last? Grammi's heart ached with the thought of these delicate cubs being lost before they had enough time to truly appreciate life. Especially the little ones. Grammi, to her core, adored young cubs. That was one reason she had been so reluctant to let Cubbi go off alone after the Glen was destroyed. He was still so young…Grammi didn't want him to grow up. Oh, if he could just stay a little innocent child forever…

"MINE!"

"Is NOT!"

"Is TOO! Give it back Malachi!'

"Make me, Sachi!"

Grammi looked up and saw Kuriani's twin siblings fighting over a small toy; it resembled a toy bow and arrow. Malachi hissed,

"You can't have it! You're a girl!"

"So?"

"You can't shoot the bow!"

"I can so! Sissy does!"

"Not the same! You aren't Sissy!"

The door opened and Grammi saw Kuriani and two of her guards, dark tangerine Randi and light aqua Nevi, enter. Kuriani was called aside by her siblings.

"Bycan casa! Make Malachi give it back! I made it!"

"But Bycan casa, I wanna turn!"

Kuriani faced them both with a cold glare. They stopped fighting and Sachi snatched the bow from Malachi and asked,

"Bycan casa, what is it?"

Kuriani turned to the gathered gummies. All movement had stopped when the Captain of the Guards had entered. Gruffi, Zummi, and Tummi left the council to stand by Grammi. Kuriani called,

"Magistrate Corali!"

The said Gummi came down, her grin now faded to a serious and interested face.

Kuriani said coldly, "You called humans here?"

"Yes, to discuss possible alliances-"

"Corali…please…don't."

"Kuriani, those humans who killed your parents were evil, make no mistake, but I cannot…_we_ as gummies, cannot turn our backs on an entire race-"

"Can you ignore the side of humans that drive them for conquest and greed?"

"Can I ignore the side that longs for peace as much as we do?"

Kuriani sighed, "Magistrate Corali, I wish as much as you that that was the way things were but you know it isn't. Are you willing to risk this entire city over a foolish notion, a gamble with Gummi lives for human acceptance?"

Corali looked at her captain and then called to the guards, "Lead them to the council chamber."

Kuriani jerked her head and her guards followed her. She turned to Corali,

"I've tried all I can. But I will not risk my guards' lives. Nor my siblings'. Sachi! Malachi! Come here."

She left without waiting. Sachi, forever obedient, followed. But Malachi, curious and seeming sympathetic to Corali, followed the Magistrate away from his sibling.

Present:

Lady Bane was restless. The loss of five of her Troggels was hardly a minor thing although it merely meant her others would need to work harder. She could have cared less about their lives in general. She wanted out of this dead forest to complete her spell. But she still needed some ingredients. She had told her Troggels to kill intruders for a reason.

She needed Gummi Blood for her spell. She was actually glad that her Troggels had not succeeded because she had to apply the ingredients in order and the blood was the last thing called for. Still, she felt an urge to do something.

She rose to her feet. Her sorceress powers did not mean she was a psychic but she could feel by the air that a chance would come to her tonight. If given the chance and option she would take a Gummi, although it would have to alive. She still had three more items to acquire, although they would come fairly each and one would come with the Gummi. She still needed the rare herbs that had once flourished here, the hair of a Gummi, and blood drawn from a Gummi's body. Then, in order for her spell to be at its most powerful she had to wait until the next dark moon, two days from this night, and then combine her ingredients as they were given. Then her spell would be complete. She had sent her Troggels after the herbs.

As for Gummi…she would handle that alone. And she had a pretty good idea where to start.

Buddi had returned to camp after killing his first animal, a small bird. His hunger had taken care of any existing guilt over his victory. Ursa was there but Grubbi was not. She took note of his prize and gave him one of her small smiles. Buddi ignored it and set about roasting the bird as he asked,

"Where's Grubbi?"

"Went to fetch some more firewood," came the answer. They had not gotten very far but had to stop due to the fact that sleep was something necessary for all of them and Buddi still needed to gather his strength up. His eyes told the Barbic leader that despite the show of bravado he had allowed to show through, he was still hardly anything but feeling better. Ursa sat still, sharpening her sword on two rocks. All was quiet, save for the fire. Ursa finally spoke,

"Buddi?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you sure that you're alright?"

Buddi sighed. Now that Grubbi was gone, Ursa was gonna dissect his soul and he knew it. With a sigh, the cub replied,

"I…I…I dunno, Ursa. I mean, I'm trying to understand what you two are saying but…" he looked down at his hands in answer and then with a shudder, hid them. He looked up at Ursa, for the second time that night, wishing that he was once again a small child who could crawl into Ursa's arms. But he wasn't.

Ursa got to her feet and walked over to Buddi. She sat behind him and Buddi wasted no time in laying his head into her lap. With Grubbi gone for the moment, she let the mother in her take over and started to stroke his hair and face, saying,

"You do know it wasn't your fault, right, Baby?"

"I'm trying to believe that."

"Baby…I've known you since the day you were born. There isn't a mean bone in your body."

"Then why do I feel so guilty?"

"The same reason I gave before…it's easy for you to blame yourself because it gives you something concrete to blame, rather than the instinct that's in each one of us."

"It's hurts…"

"I know."

"I just…I just wanted them off of me… I didn't mean to-"

The tears came then, slow but sure. Ursa put her hand against the cub's temple and he buried his face into her thigh, trying desperately to bite down the tears and the bile that was rising in his throat. He fought down the sniffles that he could but he knew some cries escaped his throat.

"Shh…" He felt Ursa's fingers wipe away at his cheeks. The comfort was helping but the tears had been kept in for a while. Now, they erupted like a fountain. The cub turned his whole face into her leg and started to cry hysterically. Ursa let him a moment before she pulled him up and he scrambled into her lap, burying his face into her shoulder.

"I didn't mean to…I didn't want to…Gum…"

Ursa wrapped her arms around Buddi's head and back, pressing him deep into her embrace, an act she had not done for almost six years. The cub responded exactly as she had hoped. His cries began to repress and grow quieter although the pain was still quite evident.

"Hey, it's okay. It'll be alright. I promise."

"I just wish it had never happened!"

"I know…I know."

They stayed like that for a time. Ursa pulled Buddi's roast from the fire, blew on it herself and then said,

"Here…eat."

Buddi drew his head from her shoulder but did not climb down from her arms. He laid his head against her chest and ate that way. Ursa didn't make a remark, not while Grubbi was gone. While Grubbi was gone, she could allow her maternal side to come out.

Her sharp ears perked up. Buddi was almost finished so he saw. He sat the almost eaten roast down and said,

"Ursa?"

"Shh!" she admonished, although gently. She got to her feet as Buddi scrambled from her lap and headed towards the outer ring of the woods. Buddi snatched his spear and followed her, keeping close and staying as silent as he could manage. Ursa finally stopped and peered through the branches. Buddi, her little shadow, stopped beside her and asked, quietly,

"What is it?"

"Lady Bane."

"Not her!"

"HUSH!" Ursa clamped her hand over his mouth. She knew he was emotional about that sorceress, she should have known better than to tell him. "Do you wanna get us-"

As she spoke this, they found the scarce branches covering them flung aside and Lady Bane and her remaining four Troggels looking straight at them.

"-Caught?" Ursa finished needlessly. Buddi felt the guilt come again. Sweet Gum, he hadn't meant to be that loud. He was just-

Lady Bane, was ecstatic. This was a stroke of luck on her part. To her Troggels, she commanded,

"Bring me the little one."

In a split second, Buddi was pushed backward and Ursa had her sword drawn. Her eyes were burning cinders,

"Keep your mijet hands off my boy!"

Lady Bane nodded to her Troggels. They rushed the two Barbics. Buddi leapt to the side, his guilt making everything spin. The details of his attack…his killing…

Ursa swung her sword at the two Troggels attacking her. They were swift but she had managed to already fall one. The other was circling her, keeping her on her toes.

Buddi had been knocked to the ground. He didn't want to…never again! Please, dear Gum!

Ursa turned and saw Buddi on the ground. He didn't wanna fight back. Probably couldn't take the pain and guilt-

"Buddi!"

She swung her sword, falling the other Troggel and raced to Buddi's aid. Buddi looked past her,

"Ursa! Behind you!"

Turning, Ursa was met with a blow to the back of her head. The vulnerable spot knocked her out on contact.

Lady Bane lifted the Gummi to her shoulder and walked off, calling her Troggels. Buddi jumped up but they had already vanished.

"URSA!"

Buddi's first thought was to follow but he knew that he couldn't beat them…not if they could fall Ursa. He got to his feet and ran back into the woods, towards the camp,

"Grubbi! Grubbi!"

Luckily, the healer was waiting. Buddi plowed through the branches and flung himself at the adult, crying.

"Whoa!" Grubbi gently pried the cub off of him and asked, "Buddi, what's-"

"They took Ursa!"

"What?"

"Lady Bane! She came for me but she took Ursa! She was trying to protect me. We have to save her, Grubbi!"

Grubbi was stunned. For the first time, he seemed to realize what Ursa was going through on this haiana. He began to feel it himself. After Una and Warrio were killed, he took Ursa in. From the time she was six to the time she became an adult, eighteen, he had raised her. That was his 'daughter.' In a sense….

No, she was…

27 Years Prior…

"Ow! Grubbi! Stop!"

"Hold still Ursa."

Grubbi was fussing over her hair at the moment. She was tomboy. She'd only been in his care for about a month and was already a handful. He was fighting to get the muck from her red hair at the moment. As he worked, he asked,

"Now, why did you try and go swimming alone? You don't know how."

"Gianni can."

Grubbi rolled his eyes, "Gianni's our leader Ursa. He can do a lot of things."

"Strong…not beatable?"

Grubbi chuckled, "All leaders can be beat. Gianni's been kidnapped once or twice. But we look to him…he trusts us. We defend each other."

Ursa laughed and made a beard of bubbles. She took another handful and blew them into Grubbi's face.

"Not me! I don't need help!"

Grubbi laughed, to humor her. That done, he set about his task once again.

"Then do a task for me…hold still."

Present

"We have to save her!"

Buddi's hysterical cries brought him back to the present. The cub was in tears. Grubbi had to fight to keep his own composure. That was his daughter they had. But he also knew that raiding a castle to get her back would be next to impossible with only two, one not even fully trained and in a delicate mental state as it was. He didn't know how much time Ursa had. He narrowed his eyes.

"Buddi?"

"Uh-huh?"

"You know our footprints?"

"Yeah…"

"Good. I want you to head back until you find…Gritty was tracking us but he got side tracked apparently."

"You want me to…"

"Yes…go and get Gritty."

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